It's finally here! Happy 5twenty Day!

May is fantastic for a lot of reasons around Charleston: beach weather is back, Confederate Jasmine is in bloom, and summer activities are in full swing. But one special day in May gets the 5twenty team really pumped. Today is May 20th, the official international 5twenty Day, when we take a moment to celebrate energy efficiency and energy geeks everywhere!

Our team had a potluck cookout and gave our energy efficient building a nice big hug today to celebrate, but we also made sure to reinvigorate our dedication to doing what each of us as individuals can do to keep our building as efficient as possible. We all took a pledge today to be good stewards of our energy resources and represent the 5twenty team and ideals to the best of our abilities.

Wondering what you can do to celebrate energy efficiency today and in the future? We have some great resources right here on our blog, as well as an eBook on how to save energy at work. Rally your team to take an energy efficiency pledge and lead the charge to a greener (and less expensive) energy future!

Don’t look now, there are vampires in your building! But no, it’s not time to call Buffy. This is a different kind of vampire. Power vampires are those appliances which, even when not in use, are still drawing electricity simply because they are plugged into a power outlet. Nationwide it’s estimated that these vampires are costing us about $100 billion in energy waste each year. But we’re in luck, this waste is one of the easiest and quickest to get control over.

By investing in a few low-cost power-strips, you can eliminate that vampire waste. Just plug your appliances, like your computer, printer, or desk light, into a power strip and at the end of the day, flip the power strip off. Done and done! If you want to splurge a little, you can spend a little more on a power strip that can do the hard work for you (yeah, like turning the power strip off is hard...). These more expensive power strips have some clear benefits, many have timer features that will automatically turn off, others can control power flow to individual appliances, cutting off power to those that do not need it and maintaining power to appliances that need to remain on.

Remember, also, that even if you don't want to invest in a power strip, you can still eliminate a large portion of the vampire waste in your office. Poor PC energy management habits lead us to waste 11 billion kWh of energy each year, that's a whopping $935 million in wasted energy costs. Ouch. When you leave at night, turn off you PC and your printer. If you're crazy enough to keep a TV in your office (I would never get any work done if I did), try to remember to unplug it at night.

Want even more tips on how to save energy at work? Check out our eBook!

I’ve read a lot of great articles lately about some of the financial issues slowing down sustainability progress (like this one). In case you’re not as big of an energy/business geek as I am and have not been diving into every article with an interesting headline, here are some of the main points.

The majority of corporate executives:

• understand that sustainability is an issue that must be integrated into the central business mission
• are willing to make investments in energy efficiency
• see investments in energy efficiency as no more risky than other, business-critical investments
• yet still are not following through with sustainability plans

Why, you ask. Good question. There are a couple of issues at play here. For one, even though these investments are seen as no more risky, they are still held to a higher standard than business-critical investments and are often shelved in favor of those investments executives see as related to the central mission of the business (even though they believe sustainability SHOULD be part of the central mission. Confusing, isn’t it?). If the investments pass through those higher standards, bigger projects often require financing, and there is no guarantee there will be money available. In fact, many banks are reluctant to finance energy efficiency investments due to a lack of information regarding the risk of the investment.

It’s refreshing to see so many people finally looking at this problem. Only by looking at the problem can we truly understand it and then solve it.

5twenty began looking at this problem about a year ago. We noticed a breakdown in communication somewhere between the Building Engineer and the C-Suite. In most cases, the Building Engineer and the CFO were both looking for ways to improve the business’s bottom line, but the Building Engineer’s strategy for this always seemed to get lost in translation.

We began a series of discussions with colleagues on both sides of this breakdown and began to understand the root of the issue: the Building Engineer simply did not have the tools to “speak the CFO’s language” and vice-versa.

So what did we do? We gave them the tools they need.

Our team has been tirelessly implementing a financial upgrade of the 5twenty system that now allows Bulding Engineers to present energy strategies to the CFO in terms she can understand, yep, money. WIth our new financial tools in place, the Building Engineer can easily educate the CFO on the validity of his energy strategy, and in turn the CFO can present a well-backed case to the bank should financing be required. Ah, it feels good to break down barriers.

Interested in seeing more? Stay tuned for more details, or sign up for a demo for a sneak-peek!

Chances are, if you're reading this post, you've probably already taken some of the steps necessary to save energy at home. We're getting really good at home energy reduction because our soaring energy costs directly impact us. But what about energy at work? When it comes to knowing how to save energy at work, we're not quite as solid. Whether driven by a lack of information or a feeling that we are unable to make a difference, we as a society have been a bit slow to adopt energy saving measures at work.

The 5twenty team wants to change this. We put together a list of the top 7 ways energy is wasted at work. Check out the infographic below!

But we didn't stop there. We also created a free eBook that dives into the details of those 7 sources of energy waste and provided steps you can take to inspire change in your workplace. This eBook is dedicated to all of the tree-huggging, energy-saving, clean-air-loving leaders out there who will see us into a bright future. We appreciate you all!

If you haven't noticed yet, we recently made an oh-so-subtle, but oh-so-awesome switch in our logo and name. The product you love and know by the name SPARC520 is now officially 5twenty (we considered spending a few months as "the product formerly known as SPARC520" but that was just too cliche). It may be the hipster in all of us, but we're pretty stoked to have finally made the switch. Let's face it, 5twenty just looks and sounds so much cooler than SPARC520.

But fear not, aside from a logo change and switching out all of the "520" for "5twenty" in our copy, the cutting edge energy management and forecasting we provide remains, and in fact it continues to get better. We're constantly adding more features to our product that will help you better manage your energy and forecast energy needs and ways to save. Stay tuned for some exciting new financial tools we're finalizing now.

So what's in a name anyway? Why are we 5twenty? At a wavelength of 520 nanometers, the human eye perceives light as green. 5twenty empowers decision makers to explore, implement, and optimize meaningful energy management strategies for their buildings to move them closer to green. Backed by thought leaders in energy, mathematics, and technology, 5twenty is all about the two best ways of "going green": reducing environmental impact and saving money.

Want to see more of what we've been up to behind the scenes? Join us for a demo!

The Louisville Cardinals. Champions, leaders, successful, winners in our book. No, I'm not talking about the NCAA Basketball National Championships, although seriously, those were some great games! I'm talking about Louisville's success on another front: sustainability.

While the rest of the world may be celebrating them today for their ability to drive the lane, shut down an offense deep in the second half, and nail seemingly impossible outside shots, I want to celebrate their sustainability wins.

The City of Louisville is no stranger to sustainability initiatives, so it's no surprise that a university there would be environmentally minded as well. The university has posted its sustainability plans and reports on its website and has maintained complete transparency with regard to environmental impact. With a goal of climate neutrality set for 2050, and interim emissions reduction goals along the way to keep on track, the University of Louisville is off to a fantastic start!

Does your alma mater have a great sustainability program? We'd love to hear about it!

Last week our Product Owner, Jeff Beck, published a piece in Greentech Media about the shortcomings of virtual energy audits. Never ones to be the complainers rather than problem-solvers, we want to emphasize the solution.

Basically our stance is this: virtual energy audits are a starting point. Any time they are presented as being more than that, they are being misrepresented. They are a quick, inexpensive way to get a high level view of building performance and identify “low hanging fruit” for efficiency upgrades. But what happens when that low hanging fruit is gone? What are building owners to do when they’ve realized a 5% reduction in energy costs, but still have 15% to go to reach their goal? That’s where we need a more sophisticated solution.

We think highly enough of the virtual energy audit that we offer one as well, but the key to our audit is that it is one piece of our comprehensive energy management platform. Once the quick gains of the virtual piece have been realized, we move on to our more complex offerings that can deliver more impressive energy management capabilities and cost reductions.

If you wish to use a virtual energy audit in your energy strategy, by all means, we think that is a great idea! But if you really want to make an impact, make sure your energy management platform offers more complex tools as well to see you through to more impressive results. Here are some of the tools you should expect to have access to as part of your comprehensive energy management strategy:

• Onsite Audit

  Yes, this takes more time and is more expensive than the virtual audit. But the idea here is that you can use the virtual audit to identify the building or buildings that would most benefit from an onsite audit, that way you’re not wasting your time or money on an onsite visit for little gain. Instead, you’ll be investing in an audit that will lead to your most impressive energy savings. There really is no substitute for an onsite visit by an energy expert, the rich data they gather from this is substantially more powerful than any data you can get from a virtual audit.

• Software

  Typical onsite energy audit reports come in PDF format. That is not enough. While the data in that PDF is rich, and if the auditor was thorough, the report includes models for energy conservation measures that would benefit you, this powerful information is lost in PDF format. Most building owners we work with have had an energy audit at some point, but most have also never read or acted on the information in the audit. They say the report isn’t easy to understand, doesn’t really help them put a strategy into place, and doesn’t give them the ability to customize energy conservation measures. If the data from that report instead lived in software, those building owners would have a fully customizable report and a tool through which to build the perfect energy strategy to implement.

• Live Energy Data

  Interval data from the utility company is fine, but if you really want to see what’s going on in your buildings, you need live data. Utility companies can only offer so much information on your building as a whole. It is much more impressive when you can gather millions of energy data points from each of your buildings in real-time every day. This granularity gives you real insight into your energy performance down to the plug load or heating and cooling load in subsections of each floor. Live data keeps your energy strategy relevant, too. When you have the most up-to-date information about you energy performance, you can make the most informed decisions about energy conservation measures on which to act.

• Engagement Tools

  What’s an energy strategy if no one is going to help you implement it? The best energy management tools should streamline team communication so that you can work with all levels of your team to find and implement the best energy strategy for your buildings. Leverage the experts on your facilities team and the tree-huggers inside your buildings and get everyone working together towards your common efficiency goal.

• Adaptive Intelligence

  This is the term our team uses to describe a tool that constantly improves based on data coming in. If you have real-time monitoring and are collecting millions of energy data points in your buildings every day, your energy management tool should make the most of that. It should take that rich data and constantly refine the guidance it provides for energy conservation measures and optimal energy strategies.

If you want to learn more about any of these tools, we’d love to speak with you. Leave a comment, email us, or check out a demo of 520.

Do you know why our energy management system is called 520? At a wavelength of 520nm, light appears to the human eye as the color green. Our system is all about helping business be more green for the environment, and save more green for their wallets. At 520, we’re green through and through. Our team members strive to make the world a greener place at work and at home.

So how can you be green this weekend as you celebrate your inner Irishman? Here are a few tips:

• Carpool! A designated driver is not only a safer option for those celebrations, but it will also help you and your friends cut down on carbon emissions.
• Bring a reusable cup: The block party I’ll be attending at our local Irish pub serves their beverages in the classic red Solo cup. I learned last year that they’ll gladly fill a Tervis Tumbler instead and cut down on waste. Don’t have a Tervis? No problem, just refill your Solo cup.
• Enjoy a day time block party: No surprise that most St. Paddy’s Day celebrations kick-off early, but how awesome is it that this saves energy too? Choose an outdoor party during the day to take advantage of some sunshine and cut down on your electricity needs.
• Just Say No To Useless Knick Knacks: I know it’s tempting to grab every little shamrock shaped piece of plastic to add to your ensemble, but all of that plastic stuff you’ll just throw away really adds to our waste problem. Avoid the urge and instead complete your look with on theme accessories you already have, like green sunglasses or earrings.

Most importantly, have a great time and be safe this holiday!

They say two things in life are certain: death and taxes. We can't help you with the former, but we may be able to offer some help with the latter.

Have you filed your taxes yet? No? Dude, what are you waiting for? Who am I kidding, on April 14th I'll be scrambling to find that ultra-secure, I'm-sure-I'll-remember-this hiding spot where I stashed our W-2s.

If you haven't filed yet, use this time to look into tax refunds you could get for any energy efficiency work you did last year. No, seriously, there are tax credits out there simply for being awesome and energy-conscious. We've put together a list of great resources on these credits, check them out and see how much Uncle Sam might be sending back to you!

Alliance to Save Energy: This organization has a comprehensive list of tax credits for everything from energy efficient cars and appliances to mass transit benefits.

Energy Star: Energy Star provides a very easy to follow guide to tax credits sand includes information on how to apply for the credits.

Energy.gov: The Department of Energy's tax credits website is easy to navigate and allows you to filter your search by a range of categories.

Have you found other helpful resources? We'd love to know about them!

Which energy management tool do you need most? Which one do you really on every day for energy guidance? Which one, if it disappeared tomorrow, would leave you wandering aimlessly? Just do a quick google search and you'll find a vast range of energy management tools out there. Some companies offer dashboarding while others lean more on analytical offerings. But which tools have the biggest impact on your ability to take control of your energy? Let's take a look at some of the front runners.

Virtual Audits

Virtual audits are just what the name implies: no-touch energy audits. These are quick and easy and get get you a lot of bang for your buck. Typically virtual audits go something like this: you send in a year's worth of energy bills for the buildings in question, the auditing team works its magic, and you end up with a high level view of your energy performance and some general guidelines for improvement measures. While these audits don't offer a huge amount of detailed guidance, they're a fantastic first step to understanding energy performance so you can make the smartest, safest investments in efficiency moving forward.

Onsite Energy Audits

Again, it's all in the name. Onsite energy audits come in a few varieties, a common one though is the ASHRAE Level II Audit. This is where the really rich building performance data makes its debut. An energy analyst performs an onsite visit and often works in conjunction with the facility team to conduct an in-depth evaluation of energy performance. The resulting report offers detailed guidance for improvement measures, including forecasts for energy cost savings if implemented.

Real-Time Monitoring

Real-time monitoring gives building operators the power of a constant pulse on their energy performance. This monitoring can be as in-depth or high-level as needed, and can include everything from the main feeds on a building to specific plug loads. Typically submeters are installed throughout the building, the sensors send the data collected back to the energy management system. Building teams can customize their dashboards to see only the most important information to them, and can often set up alerts and notifications to find inefficiencies before they become major issues.

Tenant Engagement

Whether you manage a building with tenants, or you own the building your team occupies, engaged building occupants are a key to successful longterm energy performance. Tenant engagement tools often include competitions and incentives, rallying people to get excited about energy goals. Some take it a bit further in enable better communication through all levels of your energy strategy team.

We want to know what you think: which tool is most important for your job?